


Cooler

by daddyhader



Series: New Girl AU [2]
Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Pennywise (IT), Anniversary, Attempt at Humor, Domestic Fluff, Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, He's not that important, Lack of Communication, M/M, Original Male Character - Freeform, Pre-Relationship, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Truth or Dare, a New Girl inspired AU, eddie richie and stan are roommates, its because they care, leather coats, mentions of serial killers, no beta we die like men, party time, richie and bill dont hate each other, richie is a bartender, the boys are slow dancing, they yell a lot, theyre in their early thirties, theyre just competitive, twice!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:29:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27646190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daddyhader/pseuds/daddyhader
Summary: "Oh, are you guys going out tonight?" Eddie asks when he enters the living room. "Bev and Ben have date night so, world's best wingman, reporting for duty," he says, and does a little salute, grinning. It slowly turns into a frown when he sees Richie exchange side glances with the others. "What?"Richie looks down, fiddling with the buttons of his coat. "Eds, it would be better if you stayed here.""What!" Eddie exclaims, eyes wide. "Why the fuck would it be better?""Because I actually want to get laid tonight," Richie says. "You're my cooler, Eddie.""What are you talking about, man? I always help you get laid.""It's not you," Richie tries, cheeks burning as Eddie's frown becomes even deeper. "It's just the way that you behave around them, and the things you say to them, and-", he pauses, thinking. "No, actually, it is you." He sighs. "I'm sorry, Eds."orA leather coat, a last minute change of plans and a game of Truth or Dare might just be enough to change Richie and Eddie's friendship forever.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: New Girl AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2015521
Comments: 10
Kudos: 91





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> aaand we're back in this weird AU where Richie and Eddie are oblivious idiots, only this time they actually realize it! this is such a funny episode, and again one of my favourites so enjoy!

"Guys, check this out," Richie says as he walks over to the dining table where Stan, Bill and Mike are talking. They look up, none of them expecting to see Richie in a long, black leather coat.

"You look like you just finished filming The Matrix," Mike says.

"Which is not an insult, because Keanu Reeves is awesome. I mean, look at me," Richie says and does a slow three-sixty. "It's soft, and it has _pockets-_ "

"And room for your hips," Stan says, making Bill and Mike snicker.

"You guys are just jealous of my new coat."

Squinting his eyes, Bill asks him "Did you actually buy this monstrosity?"

Richie shakes his head. "It was delivered to the wrong address, but finders keepers, right?"

"Doesn't really apply to this situation-"

"Gentlemen," Richie interrupts Stan, eyes bright. "Cancel all your plans for tonight."

"Oh boy," Mike mumbles behind his coffee.

" _Tonight,_ we are getting _laid_ ," Richie shouts, punching the air.

"Nope."

"Pass."

"Richie, I'm already getting laid."

Richie sneaks behind Stan and pats his back. "You're only gonna be there for moral support, Stanley, don't worry. We're gonna hit every bar in town, except the one I work at, 'cause that would be embarrassing, and we're gonna get _trashed_."

"Oh, are you guys going out tonight?" Eddie asks when he enters the living room. He pauses, taking in Richie's coat, but says nothing and stands next to him. "Bev and Ben have date night so, world's best wingman, reporting for duty," he says, and does a little salute, grinning. It slowly turns into a frown when he sees them exchange side glances. "What?"

Richie looks down, fiddling with the buttons of his coat. "Eds, it would be better if you stayed here."

"What!" Eddie exclaims, eyes wide. "Why the fuck would it be better?"

"Because I actually want to get laid tonight," Richie says. "You're my cooler, Eddie."

"What are you talking about, man? I _always_ help you get laid."

Bill can't help but chuckle. "Actually, Eddie, I'm with Richie on this. You keep pushing guys away from him."

"It's not you," Richie tries, cheeks burning as Eddie's frown becomes even deeper. "It's just the way that you behave around them, and the things you say to them, and-", he pauses, thinking. "No, actually, it _is_ you." He sighs. "I'm sorry, Eds."

"No, I get it," Eddie mumbles, not looking at his friends. "Um, I'll just stay here and, I'll probably deep clean the house. Yeah."

"If anything, it's more fun here," Bill adds. "You'd be bored if you came with us."

"Yeah," Eddie says, voice empty, "right. You guys, uh, have fun," he mumbles, and heads to his room.

"Damn," Mike says. "Now I feel bad."

"He's gonna be fine," Richie says and grins again. "Come on, I _know_ you're excited. It's gonna get so fucking crazy."

Two hours after Richie, Mike, Stan and Bill leave, Eddie is on his knees, surrounded by their furniture as he scrubs the bottom of their coffee table with a cloth. The place smells strongly of Clorox, their bluetooth speaker is blasting Prince, and he's quietly humming along to Raspberry Beret.

He finishes with the table just as the song ends, and he smiles, satisfied with his work. As he heads to the kitchen to grab a clean cloth for the dining table, in the silence between the song that just ended and the next one, he hears a scratching noise from behind the front door. His heart clenches in his chest, all his previous relaxed attitude gone, and he reaches for his phone in his backpocket to turn off the music. The scratching stops then, and he takes a tentative step towards the door, only for it to start again, making him jump.

Eddie can't help the panicked feeling that starts to rise in his chest. He's all alone in the apartment, and he knows Stan and Richie won't be home for at least a few more hours. The scratching continues, and his breath is shaky as he unlocks his phone and presses Stan's number. His call goes straight to voicemail. " _Fuck._ "

The scratching picks up again, and so does his heartbeat. As he looks around the apartment, he reaches two conclusions. One, in case of a home invasion, they have no way of escaping. Their blinds are switch-operated, their fire escape is way too narrow, and their apartment is on the fourth floor, making their chances of survival extremely thin.

And two, Richie's fancy and pretty expensive knife collection he bought from Amazon two years ago, despite Eddie's and Stan's oppositions that they would be an impulse buy, might just save his life. Slowly, he goes to the kitchen and grabs the biggest, sharpest knife in their collection. A heavy, ceramic knife with a black blade and a golden handle. Beautiful knife, never used.

He grips the handle as tight as he can and goes back to the living room, where the scratching has stopped once again. He takes his phone out and tries to call Bev, who doesn't answer either. "Bev," he whispers in the voicemail, "please come to the apartment right now. There's scratching at the door, I'm all alone, and I think it might be a serial killer on the loose." He ends the call, and texts Bill, Mike and Stan, in case one of them has their phone on them.

His thumb tentatively hovers above Richie's number. He groans, hesitating, but then the scratching is back, and he immediately presses the call button.

"I can't believe you got us kicked out of the bar, Richie," Bill says, sitting down in front of the counter in Richie's bar.

"I can," Stan states.

"How was I supposed to know he had a boyfriend?" Richie says, lifting the door and sliding behind the bar. He grabs a whiskey bottle and four glasses, he pours a good amount of it and slides the three glasses to Mike, Bill and Stan.

"Just stop hitting on everybody," Mike says. "There, problem solved."

"Impossible." He goes to pour some more drinks, when his eye falls on a tall, well-built guy with wavy hair that just entered the bar. 

"Oh, that's _my_ type right there," Richie says and tosses his towel away, his eyes practically undressing the guy.

"Nuh-uh, _sit down,_ " Bill says and gets up, also having noticed the guy. "That's _my_ type, Rich."

Both of them leave the counter, leaving Mike and Stan behind. "This isn't going to end well, right?" Mike asks Stan, who shakes his head. Grinning, Mike shrugs. "Eh, it'll be fun to watch them fight."

Pushing each other out of the way, Richie and Bill eventually reach the guy at the other side of the bar. He has a drink in his hand, and he's looking at the two with curiosity. "Hi," Richie says sweetly. "You looked _very_ handsome from across the bar."

"Ignore him, he works here," Bill butts in, flashing the stranger a smile. "Hi, Bill Denbrough, author," he says and extends his hand, moving to stand in front of Richie as the guy returns the handshake. "What's your name?"

"James," the guy says, voice deep and clearly amused.

"Nice to meet you, James," Bill says as Richie tries to push him out of the way. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"No, can _I_ buy you a drink?" Richie says, elbowing Bill who doubles in pain, clutching his side and leaving room for Richie to finally push him out of his way. "I'm Richie, and I _do_ work here, which means everything you order is free."

"Don't believe him," Bill says, still holding his side in pain. "The drinks are coming out of his salary. Let me buy you a drink, I can afford it."

"Hey, I can afford it, too-"

"Oh, looks like your phone is ringing, Richie," Bill says, grinning.

To Richie's genuine surprise, his phone _is_ ringing, but he ignores it. "Shut up, Bill."

"Could be someone important."

"Shut the fuck up, man."

Before Richie knows it, Bill has reached into his pocket and has grabbed his phone. "Would you look at that. It's Eddie," Bill says and accepts the call, shoving the phone into Richie's face. "You better take this one, Rich. You don't wanna leave Eddie hanging."

Groaning, Richie takes a few steps back and takes his phone, mouthing ' _I'll kill you_ ' to Bill as he brings the phone to his ear. "What do you want, Eddie, I'm in the middle of a date-"

"No you're not!" Bill calls.

"Richie, I'm sorry, but there's someone at the door, and they keep scratching, and I'm scared-"

"Eddie the building has really old pipes, they make noises all the time-"

"Can you come home? Please?"

Richie shoots a glance at Bill as he talks to James. " _Cooler,_ Eds, you're being a _cooler_ right now-"

"Richie, I need you."

The desperation in Eddie's voice gets his attention, and he realizes he sounds genuinely disturbed, maybe even scared. His stomach tightens at the thought, and he glances at James, who's laughing at something Bill said. He sighs, and clears his throat. "Okay, Eds. I'm coming."

"And this is us," Richie says, shaking his head towards their apartment door as he fishes his keys from his pocket. He has barely opened the door when a scream pierces their ears, making them all scream as well. The fact that Eddie is coming at them with a knife and the rage of a thousand men doesn't help, and they all scream even louder.

Eddie is the first to stop, when he sees it's not a serial killer, and he drops the knife, relieved. "Thank fuck you're here," he says and rushes towards them, engulfing them all in a big hug. He buries his face deep in Richie's shoulder. "Never leave me alone again," he mumbles, relaxing even more when Richie starts caressing his back.

"What the fuck happened in here?" Stan asks when the group hug ends and he sees their furniture all over the place.

"Well, I started cleaning, and then I thought I was going to die so I never finished," Eddie says. He then notices James standing between Bill and Mike and extends his hand, grinning. "Hi, I'm Eddie. Welcome to our home."

"James," he says. "You guys are weird."

"Eddie!" Bev calls from the hallway, out of breath as she rushes to their door. Behind her is Ben, also out of breath and slightly confused. "Are you okay?" Bev asks as they enter the apartment.

Eddie nods, hugging Bev and Ben. "False alarm. Sorry I ruined your date night."

"Alright, let's go check the house," Richie says, grabbing the knife from the floor and motioning for Eddie to follow him. "See if there's a killer hiding in our bathroom."

"Hilarious," Eddie deadpans and follows him.

First, they check Stan's room. "Eddie, I've told you a thousand times, the building has ridiculously old pipes. They're even older than the landlord."

Eddie shakes his head as he opens his door, peaking inside his dark room before he turns on the light. "This wasn't the pipes, Richie."

"At least you're safe," Richie says as they check his room. "Whatever it was, it ruined my chance with James."

"No it didn't."

Hand on the bathroom's door handle, Richie turns to look at Eddie. "He's all over Bill, man."

Eddie pauses for a moment, thinking as Richie looks behind the bathtub curtain. Then, he snaps his fingers. "Got it. Richie, you're getting _laid_ tonight," he says and grabs Richie's wrist, dragging him to the living room.

"Alright, listen up," Eddie shouts to get everybody's attention. "The game we're about to play is called Truth or Dare, but with a sexy twist. For every truth, you have to take a shot. For every dare, a piece of clothing has to be removed, regardless if the person goes through with the dare or not."

He reaches for the buzzer in the middle of their irregular circle. "This is another new twist. Every time someone acts like a little bitch, which I'm sure will be a common occurrence, we hit the buzzer and we resolve the tension with the ultimate dare. We raise our fingers to our forehead and whoever has the same number of fingers up as the bitch, has to share a passionate kiss with them, with clear presence of tongue, behind the kitchen slide door. Ready?" he asks, taking a shot glass in his hand, the rest doing the same. "GO!"

Bev goes first, and asks Richie who answers dare. He begins undressing himself before he even hears what the dare is, removing his tacky shirt and tossing it on the couch behind him, and then goes through with the dare. After that, multiple shots are taken, multiple clothes are removed, and everyone is either tipsy, or fully drunk.

An hour later, the apartment is a mess. There's spilled beer, from Bev daring Mike to drink three beers at the same time, four different condiments are open -and spilled- on the table, Ben's shoes are on the stove and there are clothes everywhere. A shirtless Richie is fighting with Bill for James's attention, Bev and Ben are making out on the couch, and a nearly naked Eddie is pouring shots for Stan and Mike on the dining table.

Expectedly, Richie is the first one to start acting like an asshole, when he sees Bill and James head towards Stan's room, holding hands.

"What the _fuck, Bill_?" Richie asks, words slightly slurring. "Get away from James, you piece of-"

"I didn't do anything, you asshole!"

"In my room, you guys? You were about to have sex in _my_ room?" Stan asks, barely audible in the ruckus and visibly grossed out.

"Okay, _that's it,_ you sneaky _mother_ -" Richie says and lurches forward, ready to tackle Bill.

"Buzzer!" Bev yells, and Ben presses the buzzer, which echoes loudly in the apartment. "Richie, you're being a bitch."

" _Me?_ He's the one who's been trying to sabotage me all night!" Richie yells and points at Bill, who is smirking half-hidden behind James.

"Let's go, everyone," Ben says, gesturing for them to gather around him. "Let's raise those fingers and see who gets to smootch Richie."

Richie groans, but immediately turns to James. "Do two, put _two_ fingers up, not three-"

"Put three or a four," Bill talks above him.

"Don't put three, put _two-"_

_"Three."_

Confused, James glances between the two, as Mike yells "Three, two, _one"_ and everyone raises their fingers. Richie, like he said, has raised two fingers, and James has raised-

" _Why did you raise three?"_

"You said to raise three!" James says, exasperated.

"No, I said _two-"_

Bill cackles, then his jaw slightly drops, and he points at Richie, then at Eddie. Confused, they turn to look at each other, and their eyes go to their foreheads, where they both have two fingers up.

_"No!"_

" _Fuck."_

Within seconds, Richie and Eddie are pushed into the kitchen, door locked behind them as they all chant "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!".

"Hey!" Richie shouts, banging at the door with his palm, "let us out, guys."

Behind the door, Ben cackles. "The rules are rules, Rich," he says and continues chanting with the rest.

Slowly, Eddie walks away from the door, while Richie continues to bang it. He looks away, avoiding Richie's eyes as he turns to look at him. He does not look pleased.

"I see how, in this situation, I might be considered a cooler," Eddie admits.

"You _think_?" Richie groans and rubs his face. "Okay. Let's get this over with. It's just a kiss."

"Okay, fine, it's just a kiss," Eddie agrees and approaches Richie. They stand opposite each other, neither of them moving.

"Should I use tongue?" Richie asks.

"Are you really asking me how to kiss?"

" _No,_ you asshole, I just don't want to use tongue if you don't like it-"

"Who doesn't like _tongue-"_

"I don't know, man, maybe you're one of those weirdos who don't like tongue. Whatever, let's get this over with," Richie says and puts his hands on Eddie's bare biceps. He takes a deep breath. "One, two, wait I'm not gonna do a countdown-"

"Richie. You're stalling."

"Alright, I'm doing it," Richie says.

"Do it."

"I'm _doing_ it," Richie repeats.

"Are you, though?" Eddie asks, slightly annoyed.

Groaning again, Richie drops his hands and starts banging at the door. "Get me the fuck out of here!"

Eddie rolls his eyes, and tugs Richie's shoulder, bringing him away from the door. "Richie, just kiss me."

"I'm not gonna kiss you, Eddie."

"Kiss me," Eddie demands, crossing his arms.

"Eddie, stop-"

"Richie, just kiss me."

"I'm not gonna kiss you-"

" _God,_ Richie, just _kiss me-_ "

"No! Not like this!"

Despite the constant chanting from outside the kitchen, the silence that follows Richie's words is deafening.

"What?" Eddie eventually says, voice soft. He tilts his head, a hint of a smile on his lips. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing," Richie rushes, shutting his eyes closed, "it meant nothing." He feels his breath getting heavier and heavier, and he shuts his eyes as tight as he can. "I didn't mean it like that, because you- and I'm me and you're- and you have Adam-"

"Adam and I broke up two weeks ago," Eddie interrupts. Slowly, Richie opens his eyes and they immediately find Eddie's. His expression is neutral, and his arms are no longer crossed.

"Cool," Richie says and looks away, "cool, cool. Yeah. I'm gonna just-" he mumbles, and moves towards the kitchen balcony.

"Rich- _what_ are you doing _?"_

Richie opens the door, despite Eddie's protests, and goes on the balcony that connects with the living room. That balcony door is locked, so he starts banging the glass, startling everyone in the room. They immediately stop chanting, and they help Richie get inside before he freezes to death, while simultaneously opening the kitchen door for Eddie. Richie and Eddie don't exchange any other word for the rest of the night, but no one says a thing.

Not long after that, the game is over and Bev and Ben are the first to leave. Bill and James are next, and Richie sees them out. Him and Bill exchange a look, silently forgiving each other, and they say their goodbyes.

"I'm not cleaning up this mess tomorrow," Richie says when he shuts the door and looks at their living room, ignoring Stan's and Eddie's protests about never having done that anyways. He rushes to his room without saying goodnight to either of them, and locks the door behind him.

Around 2 am, Eddie is woken up by a noise coming from outside his room. He doesn't pay much attention to it, but the noise gets louder, and the longer he hears it, the more it starts to resemble-

"The scratching's back," Eddie mumbles, throwing away his covers as he gets up. He opens his door and frantically knocks at Richie's. He doesn't wait for him to come out, and he tentatively approaches the door. A couple seconds later Richie is behind him, yawning. For a moment, Eddie forgets about the scratching when he notices what Richie is wearing. "Are you sleeping in your leather coat?"

"None of your business," Richie says and walks past Eddie, putting his arm protectively in front of him. "Stay back," he says, and barely turns the door handle before something big and furry knocks him down. He grunts when he feels paws pressing on his chest, and he cackles when he realizes it's a golden retriever that's straddling him and drooling all over his face.

"Easy! Easy, boy," a woman's voice sounds from the hallway. "I am so sorry," she says and picks up the dog's leash. "He tries to leave the house every time I open the damn door. I live across the hallway and- wait," she says when Richie gets up with Eddie's help, and points at him. "Is that my coat?"

"Uh... no?" Richie tries.

"I _knew_ it had been delivered, but for some reason I never actually got the package," the woman says, struggling to keep the dog from escaping. "Were you _sleeping_ in it?"

"He probably was," Eddie says. "We are so sorry. Richie, give her the jacket."

Reluctantly, Richie sighs and shrugs off the coat, giving it to their neighbor. "God, this apartment complex is messed up," she says and turns around, dragging the dog with her.

Snickering, Eddie shuts the door, and him and Richie head to their rooms. "You know, I'm gonna miss that coat," Eddie admits.

"Me too," Richie says, smiling softly. "Made me confident."

"Yeah, you were definitely lacking in that department," Eddie says, and they both giggle. "It was a woman's coat, though."

"You're right," Richie says as they stand outside their rooms, still smiling.

Eddie smiles back just as softly, and takes half a step back. "Goodnight, Rich."

"Goodnight, Eds."

He doesn't get to enter his room. A second later, he feels a tug at his elbow, and he's pulled back, right into Richie's arms. Richie's lips on his catch him by surprise, but he finds himself easily kissing him back as he wraps his arms around Richie's neck. Richie pulls him closer, leaving no space between their bodies, and he runs his hands up and down Eddie's back as Eddie runs his hands through Richie's hair. The kiss quickly turns from rough and messy to soft and sweet, with Richie hugging Eddie's waist and leaning forward so that Eddie won't have to tiptoe in order to reach him.

Eventually, they pull back to breathe, foreheads gently touching. Neither of them opens their eyes yet, and Richie dips back, giving Eddie another soft kiss, and then one more. He opens his eyes, meeting Eddie's.

"I meant something like that," he breathes into Eddie's slightly open mouth. He slowly, almost reluctantly, leans away and heads to his room, shutting the door behind him, leaving Eddie to stare at the shut door with wide eyes, his fingers gently pressing on his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one was significantly harder to write because in the ep the game they play is True American, not truth or dare. but then again, if you've seen New Girl you know it's probably easier to invent new rules for a game than to try and explain how True American works :')
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it! as always, kudos and comments are super appreciated xx


	2. The Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello again! I wasn't even sure if I was going to continue this AU, because life has been more than shitty lately, but then last week I had the amazing idea to write through my pain and so this little behemoth was created. I had so much fun writing this and rewatching New Girl for inspiration instead of studying for my midterms, and I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> -for the New Girl fans, this is loosely based on Table 34, Parking Spot and Tinfinity, aka some of the best eps of the series-

After last night's _incident,_ as Richie very eloquently nicknamed the kiss, that keeps repeating in his mind like a broken tape, Richie barely gets any sleep. His sheets are a wrinkled mess when he sits up, his back against the cold wood of his bedframe, and he rubs his face, letting out a loud, muffled groan. Sunlight slowly starts to fill his room, and Richie's stomach sinks at the mere thought of going outside and possibly running into Eddie. Still, he gets up and quietly opens his door.

Apparently, through the night his legs developed a will of their own, because he definitely doesn't make the conscious choice to walk up to Eddie's room across the hallway and raise his hand, ready to knock. Before he even registers what's happening, Eddie's door opens, and he comes face to face with a very tired Eddie, who yelps in surprise. Richie yelps too, and hurriedly covers his mouth as he takes a step backwards while Eddie moves forward. " _Fuck_ ," he whispers, eyes wide, "I wasn't- I didn't mean to-"

"Richie what the fuck-" Eddie says, voice raspy and hushed as Richie continues walking away from him. "Where are you- do _not_ walk away from me, motherfucker-" he whisper-yells, but Richie has already reached his door and quickly enters his room, kicking the door shut with his heel. Eddie stares at the oak door for several seconds before he goes back to his room, slightly light headed and very confused.

The idea of a morning run after a night of no sleep seems less than appealing, so Eddie quickly gets ready and heads to Bev's. Any other day, he would have been grateful for the short distance between their apartments, but today, the fact that only ten minutes later he's on her doorstep makes him wish he had more time to sort out his many thoughts.

So, when a still sleepy Bev opens her door after his incessant knocking, a questioning look on her face, he blurts the first thing that comes to his mind.

"Richie kissed me."

"Okay, explain it to me again, but slower this time," Bev says as she sips her coffee, watching Eddie pace up and down in her living room.

Eddie rolls his eyes but complies. "After you guys left, Richie went to bed and me and Stan stayed up to clean the apartment. After that we went to bed, and the goddamn scratching came back, so I called for Richie to come have a look with me- I wasn't _scared,_ " he insists when Bev smirks, "it was just safer to have another person with me. Shut up, it could have been a fucking burglar at the door. Anyways, we opened the door, and there was this huge dog with its owner running behind it, and apparently the dog had been scratching at our door, even though the landlord doesn't allow pets in the building, and it turned out Richie's coat belonged to her. She took the coat, she left, and we walked back to our rooms. And then," Eddie shuts his eyes, his fists balled up, " _then,_ Richie fucking- he _just_ -"

"Grabs you?" Bev fills in for Eddie as he starts spiraling more and more, his face twisted in exasperation. 

" _Yeah,_ he just fuckin' _grabs_ me and turns me around and he fuckin' _kisses_ me-"

"Uh-huh," Bev says, doing her best to hide her smirk.

"Fucking Richie Tozier," Eddie says and folds his arms across his chest. "Who the fuck does he think he is, just kissing people whenever he wants."

"Yeah, but how _was_ it?" Bev asks, wiggling her eyebrows at Eddie.

Still pacing, Eddie groans. "It was good," he reluctantly admits, staring at the floor as Bev squeals in excitement. "Is that what you wanted to hear? I was like the main character in a 90s rom-com. I saw through time and space for a bit, but that's not the point. Richie had no right, he just- he had the fucking _audacity-_ "

"So," Bev interrupts his monologue, setting her mug on the coffee table next to Eddie's untouched one, "do you... _like_ Richie?"

At that, Eddie makes an almost inhumane sound. "If _I_ like- what kind of question- _ha._ _Me_ liking _Richie?_ Are you nuts?"

"So you don't-"

'If anything," Eddie interrupts Bev, waving his hands around, "I should be mad at him. I should be fucking furious right now."

"Are you?" Bev asks, raising an eyebrow.

" _No!_ " Eddie exclaims, louder than he intended to. The way Bev tilts her head at him makes his blood boil, so he turns his back at her and continues to walk up and down. "And now he avoids me. We bumped into each other in the hallway and he basically ran to his room." He sighs, and turns back around to face Beverly. "Can I stay here today?"

"Oh, you don't remember," Bev says and picks up the two mugs, heading towards the kitchen. Eddie follows behind her. "Ben has this thing he told us about last week, the fundraiser his company is throwing for a bunch of architecture firms? I'm his date." Before Eddie can say anything, she adds "You can obviously come. It's an open gala, anyways, so no invitations. What do you say?" She smiles, and Eddie smiles back.

"Thank you, Bev. I owe you."

* * *

The first thing Stan notices when he wakes up, is that the apartment is quiet. Almost too quiet. He checks his phone. 8:25 am. No missed calls, no new messages, the losers groupchat as they left it yesterday.

He tentatively steps outside his room, and finds the living room empty. No mugs in the sink, no coffee in the pot. The morning light bleeds through the blinds and reflects on the mismatched furniture, and combined with the morning chill, it gives the room an apocalyptic vibe. The bathroom light is off, and so is the hallway light, but Eddie's door is open. Stan peaks inside, and frowns when he finds it empty, too. Across Eddie's room, Richie's door is shut, and suddenly everything makes sense. He knocks and waits until a very tired Richie opens the door. "What did you do to Eddie?" Stan asks before Richie can speak.

"Top o' the morning to ya, Stanley," Richie chirps, leaning on the door frame.

"Good morning," Stan says, "what did you do to Eddie?"

"Nothing," Richie mumbles, running a hand through his tangled curls. He walks past Stan towards the kitchen and starts the coffee machine. He avoids Stan's piercing stare, and moves around in the kitchen without any actual purpose. Any hunger he might have had has long vanished, and has been replaced by a giant pit in his stomach. He absentmindedly stirs his coffee -more sugar and cream than actual coffee- and stares emptily at the distance.

"Nothing?" Stan repeats.

Richie glares at Stan with his I Don't Want To Talk About It face. "Nothing."

Taking the hint, Stan chooses not to push him. "What are you doing today?"

"Day off. Nothing planned. Why, you got something in mind?" Richie says, and wiggles his eyebrows at Stan, who rolls his eyes. "Finally realized that sweet Pattycakes just doesn't do it for you, and that you can't resist me anymore?"

"Shut the fuck up," Stan deadpans, but the corner of his mouth curls upwards. "I thought we could go to Ben's thing. That gala he was talking about last week. It's open invite, but it _is_ a black tie event, so no," he says, raising his finger as Richie opens his mouth to interrupt him, "you absolutely cannot wear the tuxedo T-shirt."

"Bummer, that's exactly what I was planning to do." Richie pauses, considering Stan's offer. "Are the others coming?"

"I don't think so. Bev, maybe, but no one else showed any interest."

 _So no Eddie._ He purses his lips, and nods. "Alright, I'm in. And, since I can't wear the T-shirt, can I at least wear my crocs?"

* * *

Ben's company definitely went all out on the venue decorations, Eddie notices when they arrive. The room by itself is impressive enough, all white marble and gold chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, but now, filled with gorgeous flower arrangements, tables filled to the brim with mouth-watering appetizers and bubbly champagne, and a small band in the corner, it looks like something straight out of a movie.

Not wanting to go back to the apartment and risk seeing Richie, Eddie had borrowed a tuxedo from Bev's newest, unreleased collection. A beautiful dark purple suit with black details and silk lapels, paired with soft but well-made black silk-stripe pants and a matching bowtie. He chose not to gel his hair, and instead let Beverly make it light and fluffy with her blowdryer. 

Ben is already there when they arrive, smiling and shaking hands with various people, looking great in his deep black suit, also made by Bev. His off-white shirt matches Beverly's off-white dress, a detail that makes Eddie smile. "Eddie!" Ben exclaims when they approach him. "I didn't think anyone else would actually show up. Thank you for coming."

"Anything to support my best bud," Eddie says, giving him an encouraging smile.

Leaving Ben and Bev to talk, he walks up to the buffet, looking for something to drink, when he picks out a familiar voice amongst the chatter. "I told you this would be boujee as fuck, Stanley. Look at all those pretentious assholes with their fancy little suits. Couldn't be me."

"Of course it couldn't be you, dickhead, you're a bartender," someone -Stan- replies, their voices even closer now. "You could- Eddie?"

Eddie winces and slowly turns around. His breath slightly catches when he sees Richie, standing there in a bordeau tuxedo, his usually messy curls pulled away from his face in a messy knot at the base of his neck, a few curls framing his face. He looks equally alarmed, eyes filled with poorly controlled panic.

"What the fuck- what are you doing here?" Eddie asks, approaching Richie. Instinctively, Richie takes a few steps back, giving Eddie a very strong feeling of deja-vu. Bumping into people and mumbling apologies, Richie turns around to properly run away, managing to escape Eddie.

Until Stan catches up with him. "Okay, Richie, what the fuck are you doing?" He grabs Richie by the shoulders and moves him around to face him as Richie shoves his face into his palms, groaning loudly. "Stop that, Rich. Talk to me."

"Fine." Richie takes a deep breath as he lowers his hands. "I kissed Eddie."

Stan drops his hands from Richie's shoulders, and stays silent. For quite some time. Richie is terrified.

"I don't want a new roommate," Stan eventually says.

"Don't worry, Eddie isn't gonna move out, we're gonna figure-"

"I'm not talking about him," Stan explains, "I'm talking about _you_ , dickhead. When this all goes to shit -and it will- you're going to be the one to move out. You think I like living with you? You leave your dirty clothes everywhere, man."

"I don't know how to use the washing machine," Richie half-heartedly jokes, but drops it as Stan's glare pierces his soul.

"I can't believe you kissed Eddie," Stan hisses, slightly losing his composure the more he thinks about it. "What the fuck were you thinking?"

Richie sighs. _Good question._ "I wasn't thinking anything," he admits.

Stan locks eyes with him. He already knows the answer, but he asks anyway. "Richie. Do you-"

Richie's eyes are watery as he glares at him. " _Don't."_

Stan doesn't. "Alright. Just, apologize and make it right, okay?"

Nodding, Richie mumbles "I will".

He finds Eddie sipping on a glass of champagne next to a floral arrangement, scowling at the gardenias. He takes a deep breath to calm his nerves, and approaches him.

"Oh, I see you can walk normally," Eddie mocks, barely raising his gaze as he takes another sip.

"What can I say, I'm a man of many talents," Richie quips back, and Eddie smirks. He considers it a win. "I'm sorry I kissed you."

The tension from Eddie's shoulders slowly dissolves, and he turns to look at Richie. "Wow. Didn't expect that. Thanks, Richie," he says, relief coating his words. "I appreciate it."

"It clearly was a mistake," Richie continues.

"Yeah, pretty awkward," Eddie agrees, nodding.

Richie chuckles. "Yup. Feeling much better now." That was a lie. "I mean, I get why you were being kinda weird. 'Twas a weird thing, but for me it meant like, nothing at all."

Eddie raises an eyebrow. "Well, I think it meant something. To you," he clarifies.

Richie scoffs. "No, it didn't. It was a completely non-meaningful kiss. Definitely not as good as the kisses my sweet Sonia gives me whenever I visit-"

"How about we leave my mother out of this?"

"Just saying, it was a meaningless kiss."

"Mmm," Eddie tilts his head, "I think it wasn't. Cause _you_ kissed _me_." Richie shakes his head, his loose curls bouncing around as he moves. "I think you can admit it meant something to you, Richie."

"Oh, no," Richie insists, "I assure you, it meant nothing to me. I do things I don't mean all the time."

"I'm just saying, you can admit if it _did-"_

"Hey, spaghetti-head," Richie says, exasperated, "it _didn't._ It was a stupid fucking drinking game, and I was simply finishing it."

At that, Eddie squints his eyes. "But it happened _after_ the game, when it meant something."

"Oh, so it meant something to _you?"_ , Richie teases, and almost jumps in joy when he sees the faintest hint of a blush on Eddie's cheeks.

"What? No, no it didn't- _stop that,"_ he says as Richie's grin becomes even wider. "It was a stupid kiss and it meant nothing." At that, he grabs another glass of champagne and nearly runs away, leaving Richie grinning by himself.

He quickly finds a quiet corner where he can drink his champagne and sulk in peace. From his spot he can see Ben and Bev on the other side of the room, chatting with another couple. He takes another look around the room. Richie is in front of the buffet, stuffing canapes down his throat, and occasionally staring at Eddie with a slightly unnerving smirk.

"Hello, Edward."

Eddie rolls his eyes and turns around to look at Stan. "You do know that sneaking up on us is creepy, right?"

"I do. Doesn't mean I'll stop doing it," Stan says and joins Eddie in the corner. "Bev's suit?", he asks and nods towards Eddie's tuxedo.

"From her unreleased collection," Eddie confirms and looks at Stan. "Patty chose your suit?"

"That obvious?" Stan asks, looking down at his light purple suit and black shirt, a very not Stan-like combination. They chuckle. Glancing at Eddie with the corner of his eye, he says "Richie told me what happened." Eddie nods once, and downs the rest of his champagne, his expression blank and his jaw firm. Stan doesn't push him any further.

Across the room, Richie is once again staring, this time while sipping on a glass of champagne, and Stan could swear Eddie starts gently vibrating when he notices. He rolls his eyes as Eddie balls his fists, and clears his throat. "I'm going to go find Bev and Ben," he says. "Don't kill Richie without me." He stays long enough to see Eddie chuckle, and then walks away.

Eddie powerwalks across the room and almost headbutts Richie. It startles him, and Eddie shoves him again before stealing his champagne glass. "Hey!"

"What? You don't want my spit in your mouth?" Eddie quips and downs half the glass. "If you don't stop staring at me with that goddamn smirk I swear to fucking god I'm gonna make you wish you hadn't woken up today."

At that, Richie chuckles. "Very bold of you to assume I got any sleep last night," he says, and continues before Eddie can reply. "Just fucking admit that the kiss meant something to you-"

"No!"

"I can keep staring at you for the rest of the night, if that's what you prefer-"

Their argument is interrupted by a tap on a microphone, and everyone starts clapping when Ben goes on the podium in the middle of the small stage.

"Good evening, and welcome to the annual Hanscom and Co. fundraiser." Another round of applause follows his words. "My associates and I are very pleased to welcome each and every one of you to the biggest architectural event in New York. I hope you all have a wonderful time tonight, as we honor some of the best architectural firms of this country. On behalf of Hanscom and Co., enjoy." He raises his glass, and everyone follows suit as the music starts again. Instead of the previous, generic background music, a soft, gentle melody starts echoing through the room, and most of the guests start pairing up.

Richie tilts his head and turns to look at Eddie. Then, he extends his hand.

Eddie looks at it, then at Richie. He's smiling, and Eddie's anger slowly dissipates as he takes Richie's hand and they join the rest of the couples in the middle of the floor. He lets Richie tug him in position, and settles his arms on Richie's shoulders as Richie's hands gently grab his waist.

Neither of them speak for a few moments, simply swaying and moving in place. The silence between them is comforting. "I know you liked it," Richie says, voice soft. Eddie rolls his eyes, but stays silent. "It's fine to admit that," Richie continues. "I'm not on my knee asking you to marry me, Eds. It was a nice kiss."

"It was a sloppy kiss."

"No, it fucking wasn't, I'm a great kisser!" Richie's grin is contagious, and Eddie finds himself smiling. "It was like a fucking fairytale, that kiss, it was the best kiss of your goddamn life."

"You mother-"

"And besides, you can't even blame me. _You're_ the one who keeps walking around the apartment in those shorts-"

"Oh, so now my _shorts_ are the problem?"

"Yes! They are! You have great legs and those shorts make it _really fucking hard_ for me to not stare."

"Well, try!" Both their breathing is heavy from whisper-yelling, and they take a minute to calm down. Eddie looks up, locking eyes with Richie. "So."

"So," Richie repeats.

Eddie sighs. "Can we please go back to normal? I don't like it when we fight, and I very much don't like...whatever _this_ is."

"Me neither," Richie agrees. He smiles at Eddie, a genuine, soft smile as the next song starts. Neither of them pulls away. "Sure. We can go back to normal, Eds."

* * *

A week goes by, and Richie can definitely, undoubtedly say that no, they _cannot_ go back to normal. Or at least, Richie can't. They may not admit it, but there is a definite shift in their dynamic. They get tense when they're in close proximity, they barely argue, and when they _do_ argue, it doesn't have the same spark, the same ferocity that used to give Richie an adrenaline rush.

Richie is slowly losing his mind.

It's only a few days later that the perfect distraction from his constant overthinking appears. The ten year anniversary of him and Stan living together. The day has been marked in their calendar for years, and both of them had long ago agreed to go all out on their Tenniversary, as Richie had appropriately dubbed it. Eddie was more than happy to let them celebrate their special day in their own way, which left Richie in charge of almost everything. He didn't mind one bit.

First thing on his list was dividing the party duties between the Losers. Ben and Bev are in charge of the drinks, Mike is bringing decorations, Bill is on photobooth duty, and Stan and Eddie are in charge of the popcorn machine. Which only leaves him to deal with the venue, the guest list, the balloons, the food, the cake, the banners and the music. A nearly perfect distraction.

It _would_ have been the perfect distraction, if Eddie hadn't offered to help him with his tasks the minute he found out how many Richie had given himself. Considerate prick. That's how Richie finds himself at a bakery on a Tuesday afternoon, taste-testing cakes with Eddie.

They're on their second cake, a chocolate almond espresso cake, and Richie has successfully managed to avoid any wedding jokes. It's the baker that brings out the third cake that ruins everything, when he says "I hope I'm not crossing any boundaries, but you two are a wonderful couple. Congratulations!"

Richie nearly chokes on the vanilla buttercream of the rose flavored cake as the baker briskly walks back inside to prepare the next cake, leaving Richie to deal with his coughing fit on top of his embarrassment. "What the fuck," he rasps, eyes watery.

"It's fine, Richie, he didn't know," Eddie tries, looking away to hide his flushed face.

"No, it's not fine," Richie says. Only then does Eddie look at him with questioning eyes. "We both know we're not fine, and it's my fault. That kiss was the dumbest fucking mistake I've ever made. If I could go back in time and take it back, I would."

When he realizes what he said, it's too late. "Eddie-" he tries, but Eddie is already walking out of the bakery. "Eddie!" he shouts, and runs after him, but Eddie is already gone.

Richie is at home when Eddie finally comes back, and he's off the couch the second he hears the key turn in the front door. "Eds, I-"

"It's okay, Rich," Eddie says. He doesn't sound angry, which somehow makes Richie feel even worse. "Don't worry about it," he says as he shuts the door.

"I don't regret kissing you." At that, Eddie turns around to look at Richie.

"I only regret what it did," Richie continues, and slowly walks up to Eddie. "How it made things weird." He sighs, and Eddie takes a step forward. This time, Richie doesn't move backwards. "We've been friends for almost twenty years, Eds. We've been through worse than this. We'll figure something out."

The front door abruptly swings open and Stan comes in, carrying two bags filled with groceries. He takes one look at them, and sighs. "Is this how it's going to be from now on?" he says and goes to the kitchen to unpack.

"We're just having a conversation, dude," Richie says as they follow Stan.

"Yeah, well, just remember I live here, too. Next time you two are having a "conversation", be sure to talk about me, too, because I'm not going anywhere." His expression, somehow both neutral and threatening, once again terrifies Richie. "I care about you two," Stan says as he puts the last of the groceries away and exits the kitchen. "Don't be idiots."

"Don't you find it weird that two grown men in their early thirties, one of whom is in a committed relationship, are throwing a party to celebrate ten years of living together?" Eddie asks Bev during a late night call, two days before the party.

"Oh, absolutely," Bev says, making Eddie chuckle. "But I think it's sweet. A whole decade of Stan successfully avoiding getting locked up for a homicide."

"It's weird how Richie is the last person I kissed," Eddie says, and Bev hums. "And yet, I can't stop thinking about it," he admits. "I really wish I knew what is going on in that giant fucking head of his. He couldn't communicate his feelings even if his fucking life depended on it."

Bev snorts. "Is that right?"

He ignores her tone. "Why can't I stop thinking about it?"

There's silence on Bev's end as she thinks. "You need to find someone new," she says eventually. "Get out there, start dating again."

"Huh. Maybe you're right," Eddie says. "I'll find someone who is the complete opposite of Richie, someone who can express his fucking feelings and have a normal conversation."

"If that's what you want, then yes."

"I fucking swear, if I hear one more guy talk about sports and cars," Eddie says as he sits back between Mike and Stan in front of the bar, "I'm going to punch them in the face."

"That bad, huh?" Mike says and pats his shoulder.

"What happened to the men in this bar?" Eddie wonders.

"I hit on all of them and scared the good ones away," Richie says as he brings him a beer. He glances momentarily at the door, and his jaw drops when he notices who just entered the bar. He turns to the others. "Don't look at the door! Okay, look, but don't _stare_ ," he says as he stares at the guy who just entered with Ben. He's tall, at least six feet, with broad shoulders and toned arms. His dirty blonde wavy hair is tucked behind his ears, and his hazel eyes practically shine as he sits across Ben in a booth.

"Who's that?" Eddie asks, leaning backwards to get a better look.

"That's Noah Sims," Richie informs them, not tearing his gaze away. "He owns a construction company here in New York. His face is literally in every magazine cover and online article these days. At first, people were talking about how he built his company from scratch, but they soon realized that the fact that he's a hot, successful guy in his thirties might be a slightly more interesting topic. Now every magazine features a half-naked photoshoot of him."

"Well, it's worth a shot," Eddie says and takes a sip from his beer as he gets up.

"What-" Richie realizes what Eddie means when he sees him slide next to Noah in the booth him and Ben share. "Oh, no, what the fuck is he doing?"

Mike and Stan also turn to look at Eddie. who is now shaking hands with Noah as Ben introduces them. And Richie is fine, he's totally fine and not at all light-headed and slightly numb. And he definitely doesn't feel his blood start to boil when Noah puts his arm around the back of Eddie's side of the booth. Even in the dim light of the bar Richie can see Eddie's cheeks turn pink. Richie has probably scrubbed the glass he's holding at least a dozen times now, and yet he can't stop staring at the booth.

"Looks like it's going well," Mike comments, and gets a death glare from Richie, and a gentle eyeroll from Stan. "What?" he asks, confused.

"Richie kissed Eddie," Stan says.

"Oh. Huh. That actually explains a lot," Mike says and Stan smirks.

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Richie says and slams the glass on the counter, just as Eddie appears in his peripheral vision. He clears his throat. "Well, Eds. How's your hot date going?"

"It's not a date," Eddie says with a small smirk, "but it might lead to one. Gimme two beers."

"What's the magic word?"

"Fuck you."

"Two beers coming right up," Richie says and disappears behind the counter.

"How did him and Ben meet?" Mike asks.

"Apparently, Noah really likes Ben's work, and they're talking about potentially working together," Eddie says, grabbing the beers Richie puts on the counter. "Oh, Ben and I invited him to your Tenniversary party," he says, looking at Stan and Richie. "I hope you don't mind."

Richie's left eye twitches. "No, not at all, why would I- we don't mind at all," he says, fidgeting with his towel. Eddie flashes him a smile as he takes off. Richie wants to scream. "Stan," he says, voice unsteady. He clears his throat. "How's the popcorn machine coming along?"

"All taken care of," Stan informs him, keeping a very close eye on him. "I think we're all set for Saturday."

Nodding, Richie gives Eddie one final glance just as he laughs at something Noah said, and he sighs. "Yay."

* * *

When Saturday noon comes, and their guest start slowly filling up their small venue, Richie finally allows himself to relax. He greets them all at the door, and nearly weeps tears of joy when he sees Eddie arrive with Ben and Bev, but not Noah. "Thank you guys for coming to celebrate our special day," he says. "Groom or groom's side of the family?"

"Happy Tenniversary, Richie," Ben says and gives him a hug.

"Where's the other groom?" Bev asks, hugging him as well.

"I'm pretty sure I saw him sneak out the back with Patty, but he'll be back soon," Richie says with a wink. He notices Eddie scanning the crowd as they move inside. "Oh, Eds," he says in what he hopes is a casual and nonchalant tone, "is your hot date not coming?"

"He said he might be a bit late- oh, there he is," Eddie says and waves at someone behind Ben. "Over here!"

The knot in Richie's stomach tightens, and he hopes nobody sees him wince when Noah kisses Eddie's cheek. "Well, thank lord Noah is here, I was so worried he wouldn't come."

"You want a drink?" Eddie asks Noah, and ushers him towards the open bar. "I'll see you guys around. Richie, you did a great job. The party looks amazing," he says, patting Richie's arm.

"Yet another Oscar-worthy performance," Stan muses, sneaking up beside him as Richie sighs. "You okay?"

Richie shrugs. "Sure. You and Patty having fun?"

"Honestly, you've outdone yourself with this party, Rich." Stan pauses. Then, he opens his arms. Richie raises and eyebrow, and smirks as Stan leans in and wraps them tight around Richie's torso. "Happy anniversary, Rich."

"Happy anniversary, Stan." Neither comments on the other's misty eyes when they pull away from each other, and Richie goes to check on the food, wiping a few stray tears with the back of his hand. Unfortunately for him, the food is next to the drinks, right where Eddie is filling up his cup with punch. And of course, he notices Richie's red eyes. "You alright?"

Richie clears his throat and nods. "Yeah, everything is peachy keen, spaghetti. Can't a guy shed a few tears over his anniversary?"

"Are you sure it's about the party-"

" _Yes_ I'm sure it's about the party, Eds," Richie snaps. Eddie stares at him pointedly, and he sighs. "I don't want to talk about this."

"You know," Eddie starts, not really sure where he's going with this, "I'm having fun. It's nice to hang out with someone who actually expresses his feelings."

"Oh, give me a fucking break, Eddie," Richie snaps again, and he turns around. "Is that what you want? A guy who talks about his _feelings_ all the time?"

"Maybe I fucking do!" Eddie yells back, throwing his hands in the air. "You know what? Forget it. I don't want to fight at your party," he says, and walks past Richie.

He finds Noah pretty quickly, having an impromptu drinking game with Ben, Bill and Patty. He joins them, and not long after he's pleasantly buzzed, leaning against Noah for support.

"You know," Noah says when the game starts to die down, "I like you a lot, Eddie."

Eddie chuckles, and sips on his punch. "I like you, too."

"A _lot,"_ Noah repeats, and Eddie hums. "I felt it from the moment you came to our booth and introduced yourself."

 _A guy that tells me exactly how he feels? Score_. "Mhm. That's nice."

Then, Noah's body shakes with a sob that makes Eddie jump. _What the hell?_

"It's just," Noah mumbles between shaky breaths, his voice thick with emotion, "you make me feel- I like you _a lot-"_

"Uh, got that the first time, hey- are you okay?" Eddie asks, growing more and more concerned.

Noah clears his throat as another sob violently shakes his body. He hurriedly wipes his tears. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he sniffles. "Just needed to get that off my chest." His teary eyes lock with Eddie's concerned stare, and he puts his hand on Eddie's cheek. "You're so beautiful."

" _Alright_ ," Eddie says, and tries to detach himself from Noah. "Alright. I'm just going to grab you a drink, and maybe some napkins. You stay right where you are." Luckily, Ben is not sitting far from them, and he hastily approaches him. "Hey Ben, uh, quick question. Is Noah known to be a bit," he pauses, looking for the right word, "intense?"

Ben chuckles. "Yeah, he's a bit on the emotional side. Why, what'd he say to you?"

"We've barely spent a day hanging out, and he's already fucking waxing poetic about me."

Ben hums. "He's very in touch with his emotions," Ben says. "Dare I say even more than me."

 _Oh._ "I guess that's a good thing..." Eddie trails off, eyes scanning the crowd. He's not sure what -or whom- he's looking for.

"But not _your_ thing," Ben fills in for him.

"I thought it was," Eddie admits. "Apparently not. Don't get me wrong, he's a good guy. Good-looking, too. Like, really fucking good-looking. He's...just not what I want right now." Tentatively, Eddie looks up at Ben, who is suspiciously quiet. Eddie groans. "Bev told you, didn't she?"

To his credit, Ben looks like he feels bad about knowing it. "I won't push if you don't want to talk about it."

Eddie sighs and shakes his head. "Don't worry, it's alright."

"Do you still think about it?"

 _All the time._ "Barely."

"I'll talk to Noah," Ben says a moment later. "And you should probably talk to Richie."

With a sigh, Eddie nods. "I will. Eventually. Thank you, Ben. You're a fucking life saver."

"I know," Ben says, making Eddie chuckle. On the speakers, the upbeat rhythm of the previous song is replaced by a slower melody. "If you'll excuse me," Ben says, looking around the crowd, "I owe Bev a dance."

Eddie chuckles. Around him, most of the guests are dancing in pairs, and Eddie swears he's back at Ben's gala when a familiar hand appears on his left. He takes it, and turns around to look at Richie as they settle into their usual position. "Hi."

"Hi," Richie says, his voice gentle. "Where's Noah?"

Eddie observes him, trying to figure out whether he's being serious or not. He can't tell. "I left him near the popcorn machine. Drinks made him loose-lipped."

"Did he say something embarrassing?"

"Not exactly," Eddie breathes. "Just not what I wanted to hear."

Richie hums, and runs his hand down Eddie's arm, grabbing his hand, twisting him around and pulling him back in. They giggle, and Eddie steps closer, pressing his body against Richie's and resting his head against his shoulder. Richie hums in content, and tightens his arms around Eddie.

They don't know how long they stay like that. What they do know, is that they're okay.

As long as they have each other, they'll always be okay.


End file.
